High Temperature Mechanical Properties Research Articles

A novel L12-strengthened single crystal high entropy alloy with excellent high-temperature mechanical properties

In this work, a novel and low-cost L12-strengthened single crystal high entropy alloy (HEA) was prepared through the seeding method of directional solidification. The microstructures, tensile properties and deformation mechanisms of the single crystal HEA were systematically investigated. The volume fraction of L12 precipitates after heat treatment was almost 80%, which was higher than that of conventional single crystal superalloys. The maximum yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation, which were separately as 897 MPa, 1038 MPa and 37%, were obtained at the intermediate temperature of 800 °C. Moreover, at higher temperature (900 °C and 1000 °C), the HEA was able to maintain excellent performance, which was comparable to the commercial René N5 second-generation Ni-based single crystal superalloy. Finally, the high performance was examined by the model of strengthening contribution, which proved that the high-volume fraction of L12 precipitates in single crystal HEA was the primary reason for their significant precipitation and solid solution strengthening. Additionally, the formation of Lomer-Cottrell locks and stacking faults could enhance the high-temperature properties of the single crystal HEA.

Secondary degradation of bio-oil degraded crumb rubber and preparation of stable degraded crumb rubber modified asphalt

Using bio-oil to desulfurize and degrade crumb rubber (CR) significantly enhances the compatibility between CR and asphalt, improving the workability of CR-modified asphalt and providing environmental and economic benefits. However, the secondary degradation of bio-oil degraded crumb rubber (ODR) in asphalt hinders the stability of ODR-modified asphalt. To optimize the mechanical performance of ODR-modified asphalt, the secondary degradation behaviors of ODR were investigated. The degree of CR degradation was determined by solubility testing, while the rheological properties and chemical structures of ODR-modified asphalt were characterized through rotational viscometer, dynamic shear rheometer, bending beam rheometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The processes for preparing stable ODR modifier and ODR-modified asphalt were proposed to mitigate the damage caused by bio-oil and degraded CR to the high temperature mechanical properties of asphalt. The results show that at lower processing temperatures for ODR-modified asphalt, the volatilization of light components is predominant, while higher processing temperatures prompt secondary degradation of ODR. By stirring at 280°C for 2 hours to acquire moderately degraded CR, and then concentrating it at 220°C for 2 hours, a stable ODR less susceptible to secondary degradation can be obtained. The workability, temperature sensitivity, and low temperature cracking resistance of stable ODR-modified asphalt improve significantly. The reduction of ester group and increase in aromaticity restore the high temperature deformation resistance of ODR-modified asphalt. Further, the inclusion of composite SBS extends the range of rheological properties in ODR-modified asphalt, bolstering the application potential of ODR in asphalt pavement.

Improving High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Through Heat Treatment

Improving High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Through Heat Treatment

One-pot synthesis of copolyamide PA MXDT-MXD6 towards oxygen-barrier and high-temperature transparent applications

Semi-aromatic polyamides have long been recognized for their exceptional comprehensive properties in numerous demanding applications. Among them, poly(m-xylylene adipamide) (MXD6) was commonly used in oxygen-barrier packaging but suffered diminished transparency due to thermal crystallization. Herein, we introduced terephthalic acid (PTA) as rigid monomer units into the chain of MXD6 to prepare amorphous copolyamides PA MXDT-MXD6 via one-pot polycondensation, guided by thermal analysis. The chemical structure of copolyamides was confirmed using 1H NMR and FTIR spectra. Thermal analysis revealed that the copolyamides exhibited high thermal stability, amorphous characteristics, and improved glass transition temperatures (110.9–136.5 °C). Pyrolysis kinetics further demonstrated that copolyamides have enhanced thermal stability and lifetime. Furthermore, copolymerization resulted in numerous amide bonds conjugated with benzene rings, leading to superior high-temperature transparency, oxygen-barrier, and mechanical properties compared to MXD6 and other reference polyamides. These characteristics indicate the potential suitability of copolyamides as transparent and heat-resistant barrier materials.

High-temperature flexural mechanical properties of SiC/SiC composites

To assess the flexural behavior of SiC/SiC composites in high-temperature atmospheric environments, three critical influencing factors were identified: selection of fixtures, loading and supporting roller dimensions, and span-to-thickness ratio. Subsequently, through experimental methods and finite element model simulations, the impact of these factors was investigated. The study identified the most suitable fixture materials and configuration dimensions for SiC/SiC materials. It was found that as the span-to-thickness ratio increases, the flexural strength of the material continues to rise, reaching a turning point at 543 MPa, after which it decreases. The maximum interlaminar shear stress consistently decreases with an increasing span-to-thickness ratio. Combined with the failure mode analysis of the samples, it was observed that for a span-to-thickness ratio equal to or greater than 16, the sample failure modes are all valid. Additionally, regarding the observed non-linearity in the stress-strain curve when testing with a larger span-to-thickness ratio, it is recommended to apply a large deflection correction to the flexural stress.

Study on Thermodynamic Coupling Performance of Multi-Level Lattice Structures

With the development of hypersonic vehicle, the design of heat-resistant and load-bearing surface of hypersonic vehicle has gradually become a key technology affecting its combat effectiveness. As a new type of lightweight and high-strength structure, lattice structure has excellent mechanical properties such as ultra-light, high specific strength and high specific stiffness, and special properties such as vibration reduction, heat dissipation and sound absorption. Among them, the multi-level lattice structure can increase the bearing efficiency of the structure at low relative density, and increase the heat transfer area at the same time, so as to improve the heat protection and bearing capacity of the structure. This study includes three aspects of high temperature out-of-plane compression test, high temperature numerical simulation comparison, and structural optimization for the designed multi-level pyramid lattice, in order to obtain the bearing capacity of the multi-level pyramid lattice at 350°C, and further improve the bearing performance by optimizing the core structure. Through experiments and verification, the multi-level pyramid lattice designed and optimized in this study can further meet the requirements of thermal protection and load-bearing performance of aircraft compared with the single-level pyramid lattice, and can provide a reference for the study of high temperature mechanical properties of lattice structures, the design of new multi-level lattice structures and the engineering application of lattice structures.

High-temperature mechanical properties of additively manufactured 420 stainless steel

Martensitic stainless steels are indispensable alloys in various high stress and temperature applications such as plastic injection molds and components in steam generators. Subtractive manufacturing methods used to fabricate these parts, however, limits its functionality and performance due to design constraint of cooling channels. This limitation can be resolved by means of additive manufacturing while ensuring that acceptable high-temperature properties can be achieved. In this work, the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured 420 stainless steel (AM420SS) is explored through material constitutive modeling to determine the mathematical model that best describes its flow stress in extreme conditions. This is accomplished by subjecting the samples to hot compression under the strain rates of 0.1–1.0 s−1, and temperatures between 973–1423 K (700 °C–1150 °C) via Gleeble thermomechanical test. The experimental data were used to generate the predictive flow stress curves of constitutive models which includes Johnson-Cook, Zerilli-Armstrong, Zener-Hollomon, and Hensel-Spittel equations. Results showed that Zener-Hollomon and Hensel-Spittel models are the most accurate material constitutive equations with relatively high R values of 0.986 and 0.976, and low average absolute relative error values of 6.96% and 7.69%, respectively. The material constants derived from these models can be applied in finite element analysis simulations to assess the performance of using AM420SS parts at high temperature and strain conditions.

The influence of microstructural heterogeneities on high-temperature mechanical properties of additively manufactured γ'-forming Ni-based alloys

AbstractAdditive manufacturing (AM) of metallic materials yields distinctive hierarchical and heterogeneous microstructures owing to the complex thermal conditions during the build-up process. Consequently, the knowledge gained from creep properties of conventionally manufactured (CM) Ni-based alloys cannot be directly applied to AM-processed alloys. Furthermore, insufficient creep life has posed a significant challenge in the development of Ni-based superalloys fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), one of the most important AM techniques. Nevertheless, limited research has been conducted to understand their creep behavior due to the time-consuming nature of creep testing and extended research cycles. This study delves into investigating the creep behavior of an additively manufactured, precipitation-strengthened Ni-based alloy (NiCrAl) in comparison to its CM counterpart, focusing on the structure-property relationships. Constant-load creep tests were conducted at temperatures of 750 °C and 950 °C up to a maximum duration of nearly 1500 h. Although both the AM and CM states demonstrated high creep activation energy and creep exponents, indicative of a dislocation climb mechanism, the AM state demonstrated inferior creep life and ductility compared to the CM state for creep times below 500 h. To gain deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms, multi-scale microstructural characterization was performed to understand the effect of the AM-inherent microstructure. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the creep behavior of Alloy 699XA after AM and CM processes, emphasizing the significance of AM-specific microstructural heterogeneities.

Effect of fan-shaped structure on high temperature tensile properties of nickel-based deformed superalloys

GH4742 alloy is a kind of precipitation-hardened superalloy, which is widely used in turbine disc, compressor disc, bearing ring and other parts due to its excellent high temperature mechanical properties. In this paper, high-temperature tensile comparison experiments were carried out at four temperatures, 1050 °C, 1080 °C, 1110 °C and 1140 °C, between alloy A containing a fan-shaped structure and alloy B without a fan-shaped structure. The results show that the tensile strength and plasticity of alloy A at 1050 °C are superior to those of alloy B. With the increase of temperature, the difference of tensile strength and plasticity between alloy A and B decreases gradually. By analyzing the fracture, both alloy A and B were found to have a large number of tough dimples, which showed ductile fracture characteristics. But alloy B was found to have some icing-like fracture at 1050 °C, which showed some brittle fracture characteristics. After 1110 °C, the difference in tensile strength and plasticity between alloy A and B almost disappears because γ′ phase is completely dissolved in the matrix. TEM results show that dislocations gather around the large-size γ′ phase, and for the small-size γ′ phase, dislocations tend to cut into γ′ phase directly. The results show that the existence of fan-shaped structure is beneficial to the high temperature tensile properties of GH4742 alloy, which has a certain reference effect on the production of GH4742 alloy in the future.

Mechanical properties and microstructure of high-strength and high-ductility steel at elevated temperature

This paper aims to investigate the mechanical behavior and microstructure of a novel high-strength and high-ductility (HSHD) steel at different temperatures ranging from 25 to 600 °C. The testing machine conducted uniaxial tensile tests with seven different temperatures. The true plastic stress-strain curves of HSHD steel were fitted using the Ludwigson model based on the experimental results, and the microstructure of HSHD steel was analyzed using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). The experimental results revealed an obvious temperature-mechanical response relationship in HSHD steel, showing a gradual decrease in tensile strength and yield strength with increasing temperature, while the uniform and post-necking elongation exhibit a trend of decreasing and then increasing. Compared to other steels, HSHD steel exhibited significant advantages of strength-ductility balance over a wide range of temperatures. A Ludwigson model coupled with temperature parameters was established, which provided a good fitting effect to the true plastic stress-strain curves of HSHD steel. Microstructure analysis shows significant Brass and Copper textures near the fracture surface of HSHD steel at all temperatures. Additionally, a large number of deformation twinning was observed within the grain of HSHD steel. The excellent high-temperature mechanical properties of HSHD steel can be attributed to the strong thermal stability of deformation twins.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties for oxygen-rich ZrTiAlV alloy during in-situ semi-solid processing

Oxygen-rich ZrTiAlV alloy reinforced by spherulite ZrO phase was prepared by in-situ semi-solid processing. The results of high temperature (500°C) mechanical properties test confirmed that alloy elongation after semi-solid processing at 1500°C was close to that for the as-forged material, whereas yield and tensile strength were increased by 66.4% and 30.8%, respectively. SEM and EBSD results confirm that morphology selection of non-equilibrium growth is mainly controlled by the initial core shape, with dendrites always growing along the <110> direction following the Twin-Plane-Reentrant-Edge mechanism. Improved alloy strength is attributed to fine grain strengthening and precipitation strengthening caused by the ZrO phase, and α phase spheroidization ensures alloy plasticity. We also propose a crack deflection toughening mechanism for the alloy.

Influence of Zr Microalloying on the Microstructure and Room-/High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of an Al-Cu-Mn-Fe Alloy.

Here, 0.3 wt.%Zr was introduced in an Al-4 wt.%Cu-0.5 wt.%Mn-0.1 wt.%Fe alloy to investigate its influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy. The microstructures of both as-cast and T6-treated Al-Cu-Mn-Fe (ACMF) and Al-Cu-Mn-Fe-Zr (ACMFZ) alloys were analyzed. The intermetallic compounds formed through the casting procedure include Al2Cu and Al7Cu2Fe, and the Al2Cu phase dissolves into the matrix and re-precipitates as θ' phase during the T6 process. The introduction of Zr results in the precipitation of L12-Al3Zr nanometric precipitates after T6, while the θ' precipitates in ACMFZ alloy are much finer than those in ACMF alloy. The L12-Al3Zr precipitates were found coherently located with θ', which was assumed beneficial for stabilizing the θ' precipitates during the high-temperature tensile process. The tensile properties of ACMF and ACMFZ alloys at room temperature and elevated temperatures (200, 300, and 400 °C) were tested. Especially, the yield strength of ACMFZ alloys can reach 128 MPa and 65 MPa at 300 °C and 400 °C, respectively, which are 31% and 33% higher than those of ACMF alloys. The strengthening mechanisms of grain size, L12-Al3Zr, and θ' precipitates on the tensile properties were discussed. This work may be referred to for designing Al-Cu alloys for application in high-temperature fields.

A novel cast Co68Al18.2Fe6.5V4.75Cr2.55 dual-phase medium entropy alloy with superior high-temperature performance

A newly-designed Co68Al18.2Fe6.5V4.75Cr2.55 medium entropy alloy (MEA) with FCC + B2 structure exhibits not only an excellent strength-ductility combination at room temperature, but also an outstanding high-temperature mechanical properties in particular. The phase formation, microstructure and deformation mechanism of this designed dual-phase MEA at room and high temperatures were investigated and discussed in detail. Based on experimental results (XRD, SEM and TEM) and theoretical analysis (calculated diagram and empirical thermodynamic parameters), it is demonstrated that this newly-designed MEA consists of a dual-phase structure of a face-centered-cubic (FCC) phase (70.3 vol %) plus chemically ordered body-centered cubic phase (B2) (29.7 vol %). Meanwhile, the FCC phase is enriched with Co, Fe and Cr elements, while the B2 phase is enriched with Al and Co elements. Furthermore, compared with some HEAs/MEAs and commercial alloys, this newly-designed dual-phase MEA exhibits excellent strength-ductility combination with a high compressive yield strength of ∼1254 MPa, a fracture strength of ∼2657 MPa and a large compressive plasticity of ∼34.6 % at room temperature. In particular, the studied MEA also shows an outstanding high-temperature performance with an ultrahigh yield strength of ∼1213 MPa at 600 °C and ∼626 MPa at 800 °C, respectively. The excellent comprehensive mechanical properties of this designed dual-phase MEA at both room and temperatures mainly originate from synergy effect of alternate FCC + B2 structure and strengthening contributions of B2 phase. These important findings not only reveal the deformation and strengthening mechanisms of the newly-designed dual-phase MEA, but also provides an effective alloy design strategy for developing advanced structural materials serving as a wide range of temperature.

Rapid estimation of γ' solvus temperature for composition design of Ni-based superalloy via physics-informed generative artificial intelligence

The exceptional high-temperature mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys are mainly stemmed from the L12 γ' phase, therefore it is crucial to discover Ni-based superalloys with high γ' solvus temperatures. Utilizing generative artificial intelligence, we have developed a framework to swiftly evaluate the γ' solvus temperature and tailor Ni-based superalloys, accelerating the process of discovering Ni-based superalloys. Physics-informed artificial neural network emerged as the optimal choice for reverse engineering, outperforming other models with an R2 score of 0.917 and a mean absolute error of 15 K. In the reverse design process, 20,000 virtual alloy samples were generated based on divide-and-conquer variational autoencoder which divides the dataset into distinct clusters by K-means algorithm provides a structured representation of the alloy composition space, thereby facilitating a more nuanced understanding of its inherent complexities. In a specific alloy design example, 563 samples were identified through screening based on criteria like γ' solvus temperature, composition deviation index, price, and density. Thermodynamic calculations were used to further screen Ni-based superalloys with exceptional high-temperature properties. The showcase of BA alloy discovery through generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the potential of our research to steer the creation of novel compositions for Ni-based superalloys with outstanding high-temperature properties.

Effects of various proportions TiB2p-TiCp reinforced Al–Cu–Mg composites in high-temperature mechanical properties and sliding wear behaviors

Synergistic reinforcement of dual-phase particles with different sizes was always considered superior to single-phase reinforcement in composites, but there were few studies to investigate the role of each part in enhancing properties. In this work, 40 vol% (TiB2p-TiCp)/Al–Cu–Mg composites with different proportions of TiB2p and TiCp (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3), were fabricated by the combustion synthesis to contrast the strengthening effect of dual-phase particles from the interface stability and the characteristics of dual-phase particles. Calculated by the first principle, TiB2 (3.12 J/m2) presented better interfacial stability with Al matrix than TiC (1.61 J/m2). Under the circumstance of the same volume fraction, the composites with a higher proportion of TiB2p usually show higher yield and maximum compressive strength and effectively prevent the crack growth of composites. However, excess submicron sized TiB2p tends to produce cracks at the hexagon edge when the loads were applied and formed crack loops delaminating materials. When the TiB2p/TiCp proportion was 1:1, the plasticity and strength were beneficially balanced at the elevated temperature. Otherwise, the composite with TiB2: TiC = 3:1 possessed the best wear resistance (coefficient of friction: 0.22) at a sliding velocity of 0.32 mm/s, 30 N load) among other composites (AR12, AR11, AR21, and AR31) at 473 K, which reduced 45%, 64%, 73% and 86%, respectively. The main wear mechanism was abrasive wear when the TiB2 proportion was dominant. Submicron sized TiB2p with better interface bonding can keep the rigidity of the composites to resist the plastic flow, while TiC nanoparticles are easier to be extracted during the wear process.

Thermal stability of Ni-based superalloys fabricated through additive manufacturing: A review

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a cutting-edge technique that builds parts by adding layers from a digital design and depositing materials selectively where required. AM is vital in industries like aerospace, healthcare, and automotive because of benefits like design flexibility, cost-efficiency, and customization over conventional methods. Ni-based superalloys AM processes involve phenomena like solidification, phase change, different microstructure characteristics, and melting pool boundaries, affecting both microstructure and mechanical properties. Ni-based superalloys are regarded as potential candidates for high-temperature applications, thanks to their capability to benefit from various strengthening mechanisms such as precipitation hardening and solid solution strengthening. This comprehensive review explores the thermal stability and high temperature softening resistance of additively manufactured (AMed) Ni-based superalloys, from microstructural and mechanical points of view. This review explores the thermal stability and high temperature softening resistance of additively manufactured Ni-based superalloys. It explores the interplay of alloying elements at high temperature, additive manufacturing parameters, and initial microstructure, focusing on grain boundary/sub-boundary networks evolution. The influence of solute drag effect, second phases Zenner pinning effect, and post-processing treatments on microstructural changes such as second phase characteristics, recrystallization (static and dynamic), grain growth phenomena, and textural variations is also analyzed. High temperature mechanical properties of AM-Ni-based superalloys are evaluated, including yield and tensile strength, elongation, work-hardening behavior, creep, and fatigue properties. Hydrogen embrittlement is a significant reason for failure, so this issue is briefly assessed in AM-Ni-based superalloys. Results show that understanding relationships between processing, microstructure, post-processing treatment, and properties is crucial for thermal stability control.

The structure and properties of high-entropy (MoTaNbZrHf)-Si-B coatings deposited by DCMS and HIPIMS methods using the multilayer target

This article reports the results of comparative studies of the composition, structure, high-temperature oxidation resistance, mechanical and tribological properties of (MoTaNbZrHf)-Si-B coatings prepared at an identical average power of 1 kW by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) and high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS). Switching from the DCMS to the HIPIMS mode is found to increase adhesion and crack resistance of the coatings and their wear resistance under friction sliding and cyclic impact conditions, as well as reduce the depth of oxidation at 1300 °C threefold. The record-breaking values of high-temperature oxidation resistance at 1500 °C are achieved due to formation of a surface film based on the borosilicate glass (a-Si:B:O) containing crystallites of the t-HfSiO4, o-Ta2O5, m-HfO2, and m-ZrO2 phases.

Impact of intermetallic phases on the localised pitting corrosion and high-temperature tensile strength of Al–Si[sbnd]Mg[sbnd]Cu[sbnd]Ni alloys

The influence of Ni-rich intermetallic particles (IMPs) on the microstructure, high-temperature mechanical properties, and corrosion behaviour of Al–Si–Mg–Cu–Ni alloys was investigated. The presence of coarse block-like γ-Al7Cu4Ni and thin needle-like δ-Al3NiCu IMPs contributed to low-temperature alloy strengthening during tensile tests. However, void nucleation and coalescence within the IMPs facilitated ductile fracture and alloy rupture, resulting in a lower tensile strength at high temperatures. Although both IMP phases had a cathodic electrochemical nature, resulting in strong galvanic corrosion, the γ-Al7Cu4Ni phase acted as the primary cathode, amplifying localised pitting while reducing the overall alloy corrosion resistance.

Laser additive manufacturing of TiB2-modified Cu15Ni8Sn/GH3230 heterogeneous materials: Processability, interfacial microstructure and mechanical performance

Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials integrate excellent thermal conductivity and high-temperature mechanical properties, enabling them to be widely used in the aerospace domain. Differences in the thermal and physical properties of the Cu and Ni materials, however, make them difficult to be processed using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process. This study systematically examines the effects of various LPBF process parameters on microstructure, element diffusion, bonding strength and microhardness at the Cu/Ni interface, as well as investigating the mechanisms of defect formation within Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials. The results indicate that a reasonable control of laser energy input (<100 J/mm3) facilitates the Cu/Ni components through strong interfacial metallurgical bonding without pore defect formation. Compared to single-material Cu alloy, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the horizontally bonded Cu/Ni specimen increased by 55.25 %, without significant reductions in elongation. The vertically bonded Cu/Ni tensile specimen fractured in the middle of the Cu region rather than the interfacial region, indicating superb interfacial bonding strength. Another advantage lies in the enhancement of thermophysical properties, with a 109.5 % increase in thermal conductivity achieved in the LPBF-fabricated Cu/Ni heterogeneous materials compared to the single-material Ni alloy. Quasi-static compression experiments indicated that the Cu/Ni lattice structure could absorb more energy when compressed parallel to the build direction (BD), compared to being perpendicular to the BD. This study provides guidance for the design and manufacture of high-performance Cu/Ni heterogeneous components via LPBF.

High temperature mechanical properties of novel MgO–Al3BC3 refractories for electric arc furnace lining

In this study, novel MgO–Al3BC3 refractories were developed by gradually replacing flake graphite with Al3BC3 in unfired low–carbon MgO–C refractories. The high temperature mechanical properties of these novel refractories were investigated for the first time. The results demonstrated significant enhancements in cold crushing strength, thermal shock resistance, and hot modulus of rupture when compared with low–carbon MgO–C refractories. These enhancements can be attributed to the formation of an appropriate amount of boron–containing liquid phases within the novel MgO–Al3BC3 refractories at elevated temperatures. These liquid phases serve multiple functions, including acting as a mineralizer for MgAl2O4, facilitating self–healing by filling cracks and pores, and strengthening the bonding between the aggregate and matrix interface. Furthermore, the thermal stability of Al3BC3 enables it to maintain its functionality consistently, even at high temperatures.